I found this forum while trying to find info on understanding our new dog. Grady is an 8 mo old GSP neutered male and we've had him almost three months. I got him for my husband's father's day gift. I read these articles when I'm at my wits end with him. Like today. Today, he ate the gas grill, hoses, ignition wires...gone. My brand new grill that I've cooked on 3 times...He also ate EVERY bloom of my  hibiscus...gone. His bed...gone...my feeding buckets, same. All this in just this week. Right now I hate him. Later this evening when he run to me with his ears mussed and his stump wagging wanting his ball thrown, I'll think he's a cutie pie. BUT, again...I'm in the negative zone and I"m ready to call his breeder and tell her to pick him up. He is THE most destructive dog I've ever owned and we've had several.  Porch steps, picnic benches, log edges of our home all bear his mark. He learned his underground fence system in one afternoon..smart boy. He has a full 2 acres to run on.  He won't potty train..stupid dog. He has to live outside which is not what I wanted. He's learned several voice and hand commands quickly..smart dog. He won't stop chasing my cats..stupid dog. He body slams himself off my screens and windows... I could go on... but you've all read it before.

He eats quality food, gets plenty of excercise and attention. We get him extra large bones which pacifiy him greatly but not enough to keep him from destroying something. Now here's the kicker...he's only bad from 6:00 a.m. til about 11:00 a.m. Then he's wonderful. I WORK at home and can't pay full attention to him during those hours. He takes a nap (crated) from 1 pm. to 4 and then is bouncy (in a fun way) the rest of the evening outside. If he is crated prior to 1, he whines like crazy...he is crated around 10 p.m til 6 a.m inside and sleeps without problem.

Any suggestions on what to do with him in the morning hours??? No such thing as doggie day care here...I'm in the middle of the boondocks

Thanks for any input, Micayla

Sounds like he is so smart that he gets bored and then does "stupid" stuff.

When he is in the yard, on his own, does he run or does he check out the perimeter and just hang out? I discovered, with my young GSP, that I had to go out with him for him to get his excersise properly. Then I had to create puzzles for him to solve - stuffed frozen kongs, hidden items to find on command etc.

Chewing a lot of stuff usually indicates boredom or pent up energy, or frustration. He may be frustrated that he isn't with you since GSPs are so pack oriented. I would work on his housetraining first so that he can spend more time with you.

I hope this helps - I know that my GSP puppy reduced me to tears a few times. It does get better!

Edited to add - IMO I don't think that GSPs should be outdoor dogs at all.  If he can't be trained to be in the house with his family he needs a different environment.  Talk to the breeder and get their advice, don't wait for winter.

What level of training does he have ? Like someone mentioned earlier, they NEED a job...maybe rather than all Play time, he could do some training exercises...discipline is a good thing. BEAN really seems to be more well behaved when I work her !. Even her play time has elements of discipline thrown in..and sometimes we do JUST ALL OUT PLAY...maybe try to vary the routine if possible...good luck

Renee'

Sounds to me like the dog is in control after dad leaves for work.  That needs to change.  You need to take charge, establish a routine and be consistent and firm.  He will catch on.  Dogs love routines once established.  Someone else mentioned this, but I would get him potty trained first.  You are just going to have to be persistent with him on the potty training.  Also, when you clean up after him be sure you use something that kills the smell or they will go back to the same area and do their business there again and again.  If you catch him in the act I would say No is a startling voice to get his attention and make him pause, then get him outside fast.  Any time he does his business outside praise and give him a treat immediately.  He will soon catch on. It will take longer though to housebreak him as he is older, but it is doable. If he has done his business inside and you didn't catch him in the act, then take him outside and go back in and clean up.  Scolding at this point does no good as the dog has no clue why you are fusing at him.

The other thing that might be happening is he may be misbehaving to get attention.  Remember any attention is better than no attention.  You are already loosing time on the job by trying to figure out what he is up to, so work some breaks into the routine and either have play time or training time.  It doesn't have to be long periods, 5 or 10 minutes will work. If he misbehaves, do not respond to the bad behaviour.  Just go and get him, no reaction beyond a firm no.  Distract him and get him doing something ok, and then give him praise for a behaviour you are ok with. That let's him know what makes you happy.

Finally work on your authority with him.  If you tell him to do something you only say it once, then you go make him do it.  Any time you give him a treat, make it a reward for something he has done right. If you aren't already, take over his feeding, but make him work for dinner.  I have my kids sit until I release them to eat.

You didn't say what he did to the flowers and such, but my furkids own my backyard except for two flower beds.  I have a fence barrier (short 2.5 foot fence just as a reminder) around those areas and have taught them to stay out.  Most of the time they do unless they are after a critter, then all bets are off.  The way I look at it is I love my furkids more than the flowers.  I can always plant more flowers.

Finally, GSPs are wonderful pets and are really unhappy when they can't be with their people. They are made to cuddle on the couch or bed on long cold nights or rainy days, not be outside because we fail in our training.  They are trainable with patience and perserverance and positive reinforcement.

There are also a ton of good books out there for training a dog and working with dogs that have problems.  Get a few of them and read them.  They will give you additional ideas on how to deal with your dog.

Good luck and hang in there, be firm, but most of all be consistent.

Your post could have been mine, 5 years ago.  Browning mangled at least 2 pair of eyeglasses, he ate my hubands $2300 hearing aid, he chewed shoes.  He chased my cats.  He tore up the newspaper in the yard every morning.  He tore up at least 2 UPS deliveries, including my husband's birthday present.  He ate the cat's food.  He "graduated" at the bottom of his puppy training class -- he had no interest in learning, he just wanted to romp with the other dogs.  He chewed the gear shift in my car.

I wanted to get rid of him and I was so sorry we got him.  Then oneday I met the woman who runs the mid-Atlantic GSP rescue.  She told me that she had to crate her dog until after his 3rd birthday.  She said that something would happen after his third birthday and he'd totally calm down.  And that's what happened.  He got better gradually, and sometime around his 3rd birthday he became the best dog ever.  Oh, he still chases my cats, and will still eat the catfood.  But he has traveled everywhere with us and is always a gentleman.  He loves to ride in the car.  And somehow, he actually does those things that he refused to do in puppy class. 

So try to hang in there.  They are high energy dogs.  They are also extremely intelligent and great companions.  I just adopted a coonhound puppy and am going through again much of what you are going through.  And Browning is just great with the puppy. 

We spend every morning after our walk with 45 minute ball toss and on my nights off 2 hours of outside doggy play.  Plus in the house we have rummage buckets filled with Rocky toys when he becomes active and bored, like a 2 year old and our Rocky is 6